Rock Legend Pilots Football Icons

The Liverpool football team arrived in Naples for their Europa League match against the Italian giants in style, as Iron Maiden front man, Bruce Dickinson, piloted their flight.

Bruce Dickinson

The heavy metal legend has been flying for the last 20 years following a childhood interest, yet for years, the music always came first.

Dickinson explained “When I did get a bit of time, I just got completely hooked and one thing has led to another – but I’m not quite sure how I’ve ended up as the captain of an airliner!”

The singer was born Paul Bruce Dickinson in the tiny mining town of Worksop, Nottinghamshire on 7 August 1958, and despite what he himself describes as an ‘unconventional’ childhood, Dickinson recognised from an early age that he was interested in music. He is also an established author, broadcaster, fencer, director, screenwriter, actor, entrepreneur, marketing director and songwriter.

A spokesperson from Liverpool football club confirmed that Dickinson was indeed piloting their flight to Naples which left Liverpool’s John Lennon airport at 11am yesterday morning. However his precious cargo was missing a few famous names as they also confirmed that legends Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were being rested ready for their important Premier league fixture against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard

Dickinson confessed to not being a huge football fan however added “Liverpool are an amazing club. They are more than a club; they are an institution and represent such a body of people here in the city. I hope they do well – it would been good see them with their tails up.”

He was a little more hesitant when asked whether he preferred flying to music however, stating “I don’t know – that is one of those questions, like which one of your kids would you throw out of a hot-air balloon. Iron Maiden fans would lynch me if I stopped singing.”

It is also unclear whether the famous pilot has a play list for the in flight entertainment or whether he may be singing a few bars over the tannoy system to entertain his equally famous passengers.